The problems associated with objects located on airport runway surfaces during aircraft landing and take off have long been recognized. There have been repeated catastrophes associated with objects or other debris on airport runway surfaces involving deaths of thousands of people and damage to aircraft. Aircraft are operated by pilots often unfamiliar with individual airports and runways, and possibly without adequate visibility during take off or landing. Even the presence of air traffic control does not wholly eliminate the hazard of unseen objects on the runway to the aircraft and its passengers.
There are many recent articles relating to aircraft catastrophes in relation to the presence of objects or other debris on airport runway surfaces. Examples of such articles include the following references, the disclosure of which are hereby incorporated by reference:
Alan Cowell, Concorde is Stripped of Certification to Fly, N.Y. Times, Aug. 17, 2000, Foreign Desk; Suzanne Daley, Recorders Show 2 Engines in Trouble Before Paris Crash, N.Y. Times, Jul. 28, 2000, Foreign Desk; Erik Eckholm, Airline Says Jet Was on Wrong Runway Before Crash in Taiwan, N.Y. Times, Nov. 4, 2000, Foreign Desk; Erik Eckholm, Taiwan Crash Recorders Checked; No Theories Ruled Out, N.Y. Times, Nov. 2, 2000, Foreign Desk; Donald G. McNeil Jr., A Key Runway Inspection Was Skipped the Day of the Concorde Crash, Investigators Report, N.Y. Times, Sep. 2, 2000; and Pilots' ‘Dreadful Mistake’ in Taiwan May Lead to Jail, N.Y. Times, Nov. 5, 2000, Foreign Desk.
Applicant is unaware of any information regarding past prior art similar to the present invention for a sensing system for detecting objects or other debris that may be hazardous to aircraft and/or passengers on an airport runway surface.
Consequently, due to recent aviation catastrophes or near disasters that are attributable to objects or other debris on the airport runway surface when the aircraft are either taking off or landing, there is a need to develop an apparatus and system to locate, characterize, and alert appropriate airport personnel to the presence of objects or other debris on airport runways.
It is known that the Supersonic Air France Concorde crash on Jul. 26, 2000 was attributed to objects or other debris left on the airport runway prior to the Concorde's departure from Charles de Gaulle Airport in France. French investigators indicated that “a 16-inch piece of metal on the runway had burst the tire, setting off the sequence of apparently freakish events that caused the plane to crash within 90 seconds” after takeoff. Alan Cowell, Concorde Is Stripped of Certification to Fly, N.Y. Times, Aug. 17, 2000, Foreign Desk. In fact, it has been said that “objects or other debris on the runway [is] most often the problem” in catastrophes when aircraft are landing and taking off. Suzanne Daley, Recorders Show 2 Engines in Trouble Before Paris Crash, N.Y. Times, Jul. 28, 2000, Foreign Desk. Most importantly, the present invention may alleviate the problem of “inspections [being] skipped” and ensure that airport runway surfaces would be clear of any objects or other debris. Donald G. McNeil Jr., A Key Runway Inspection Was Skipped the Day of the Concorde Crash, Investigators Report, N.Y. Times, Sep. 2, 2000.
In a more recent catastrophe involving an airline in Taiwan, killing 80 people, the pilot was unaware of his surroundings and claimed that “from beginning to end, didn't know he was using the wrong runway” during take off. Apparently, this is a common mistake due to location of the pilot in the aircraft, the familiarity of the pilot with the airport, or other visibility issues. The present invention would allow air traffic control or other personnel to assess the location of any aircraft on any runway as well as the condition of the runway surface prior to clearing the aircraft for takeoff. Understanding that the air traffic control tower in this incident did not have the best view, the present invention would provide another method to double check the runway prior to clearing an aircraft for takeoff. Erik Eckholm, Airline Says Jet Was on Wrong Runway Before Crash in Taiwan, N.Y. Times, Nov. 4, 2000, Foreign Desk. Considering all factors in the tragic airline crash in Taiwan, the present invention would help prevent an aircraft from traveling down “a runway that was closed for repairs and littered with heavy digging equipment”. Pilots' ‘Dreadful Mistake’ in Taiwan May Lead to Jail, N.Y. Times, Nov. 5, 2000, Foreign Desk.
However, despite this prior public knowledge, Applicant is unaware of any known, proposed, or successfully implemented sensing systems for detecting objects or other debris on an airport runway surface which would provide an advance warning to air traffic control and airport ground based personnel.
Consequently, there exists a need to detect such objects or other debris on runway surfaces.
Furthermore, there exists a need to notify air traffic control and ground based personnel of such objects or other debris prior to aircraft takeoff or landing.